


Anything For You

by FullmetalandtheFlame



Category: Anastasia - Flaherty/Ahrens/McNally
Genre: Drama, F/M, Fluff, Gleb is a sweetheart, Glenya, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Romance, Working on a multi-chapter story, Works as a standalone one shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:27:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26710660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FullmetalandtheFlame/pseuds/FullmetalandtheFlame
Summary: Gleb and Anya have started seeing each other regularly and they've gotten to know each other quite well since a backfiring truck brought them together two months ago. So when Gleb meets Anya for tea one day, he can tell something is bothering her.I'm not great at summaries but oh well.This will eventually be a multi-chapter story with a more extensive plot, but this first chapter completely works as a standalone one shot.
Relationships: Anya | Anastasia Romanov/Gleb Vaganov
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26





	Anything For You

**Author's Note:**

> I want to write all of the full work instead of posting chapter by chapter, and I'm not a fast writer so I'm posting this for anyone interested in some sweet, fluffy Glenya romance. If you like it, keep an eye out for the full length story.

Gleb shivered as an icy wind blew up the Nevsky Prospect, bringing with it a reminder of the still lingering winter. He was glad he’d decided to bring his coat today. Spring was fast approaching and the Neva River flowed freely now that it had warmed enough to thaw from its frozen winter state. But the temperature had dropped over the last couple of days, and Gleb suspected they would get one last winter storm before spring truly arrived. 

Gleb scanned the Nevsky Prospect as he anxiously waited for Anya to arrive. Ever since a backfiring truck had brought the frightened little street sweeper into his life two months earlier, he and Anya had taken to meeting a few times a week. Although she had turned down his initial invitation to tea on account of her not wanting to lose her job, when they had, as Gleb put it, “just happened to run into each other” that same evening after Anya’s shift ended, Gleb had reiterated his offer. After a moment’s hesitation, she had agreed with a shy smile, much to Gleb’s delight. And if Gleb had actually left his office earlier than normal and waited outside the city offices where he knew the street sweepers would soon be returning their brooms as they did after each shift, all in order to orchestrate another meeting with the beautiful girl, well, no one needed to know. It was all semantics, anyway. 

A flash of blonde hair caught his eye, and he couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face as he watched her approaching.

“Good evening, comrade,” Anya said as she stopped in front of him. The small smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, and Gleb’s grin faltered.

“Hello, Anya. How is my favourite citizen today?” he asked cheerfully, hoping his usual greeting would brighten her mood as it often did.

Anya laughed lightly. “You know, if you keep calling me that, your mother will get jealous.”

Gleb shrugged. “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” He held the tea shop door open for Anya and followed her through, glad to get away from the chilling wind. “The usual?” he asked as he headed towards the front counter.

She nodded. “Thanks. I’ll find a table.”

Gleb noticed the melancholic expression that returned to her face as she turned away. Something was definitely bothering her.

Although Anya had been shy and uncertain when they first met, a response Gleb was accustomed to from most people as soon as they saw the Bolshevik uniform, she’d quickly grown more comfortable in his presence as they got to know each other. He’d pried a few smiles, and eventually laughs from her lips with his jokes, glad that, for once, someone appreciated his sense of humour. On their third meeting he’d shared stories from his childhood, and then eventually began to talk about his parents. He’d spoken fondly of his mother, whom he didn’t get to see much since she didn’t live in Leningrad. Then he’d spoken proudly about his father, though sadness was evident too as he’d explained that his father had died some time ago. 

As he’d talked about his family, Anya had looked wistfully into the distance. This had prompted him to inquire about her past and family, and that was when she’d told him. That she had no past - none that she could remember. She told him how she’d woken up alone in a hospital ten years ago with no belongings, no name, no memory. Gleb’s heart had ached for her, and without a second thought, he’d reached across the little table in the tea shop and covered her small hand with his own, offering her his silent support and sympathy. No words had needed to be spoken. They’d just sat there in comfortable silence, finding comfort in each other’s presence.

In that little moment, something had opened up between them. Their conversations no longer stunted or forced; their interactions no longer shy and awkward. Without really discussing it, they started meeting more frequently. Sometimes they’d get tea or something small to eat, though Anya always felt a little guilty when they did. Gleb paid for both of their orders every time without a word. And though she felt bad, she was grateful for his tact and generosity in doing so without ever mentioning it, since they both knew she couldn’t afford to pay for it herself. 

Sometimes they would simply go for a walk, talking about their lives or how their day went, and just enjoy each other’s company. 

They’d gotten to know each other very well, and as the weeks passed, Gleb found his thoughts drifting towards the little street sweeper more frequently throughout each day. Although they’d only met a couple of months ago, in a way Gleb felt like he’d known her all his life. 

He ordered two lemon teas from the man at the counter and moments later brought them over to the table Anya had found in the corner. Placing their drink on the table, he sat down across from her, watching in silence as she cupped her hands around the glass, allowing it to warm her before taking a small sip. He noticed that her small hands were cracked and sore from hours of hard labour in the cold with no gloves to protect them. 

“So,” Gleb said after taking a sip of his own tea. “You never answered. How are you?”

Anya shrugged. “The same as always I suppose. I managed to pick up a longer shift yesterday. Someone was sick and they needed a couple people to take over cleaning her streets, so that was good.” She took another sip of her drink. “And you? Did you hear about the new office?”

“Indeed I did.” He smiled proudly. “You, my friend, are looking at the proud new owner of his very own office - complete with a view of the Nevsky Prospect. And! Get this,” Gleb leaned forward across the table and whispered conspiratorially. “It even has a working telephone.”

Anya giggled, the light sound making his grin widen. 

He leaned back in his seat. “Or so I hear anyway. I don’t actually move into it until the end of the week.”  
“Well, if it’s so impressive I’ll have to see it.” Anya had been to his current office once before when he’d unexpectedly had to work late but didn’t want to cancel their plans. He’d invited her to his office and they’d talked and drank their tea while he’d filled out stacks of menial paperwork. 

Gleb nodded. “I’d like that. I’ll let you know when I get it. Maybe you can even try the telephone.”

“As far as I know I’ve never even used one. But it’s not like I have anyone to call anyway.” She tried to shrug nonchalantly, but her eyes dropped to the table as she thought of her lost memories.

Gleb’s heart ached for her, knowing she was missing the family she had no memory of - the family she wasn’t even sure she had. “Hmmm, I see what you mean. I guess I’ll be in the same situation.” She shot him a questioning look. “After all, even if we did try to call somebody, they couldn’t answer. Not much point in a working phone if it’s the only one in all of Russia,” he said with a wink. 

He was glad to see a smile return to her face, though from the way she fidgeted with her coat cuffs and the distant look in her eyes, he could tell that hadn’t been the only thing bothering her. He resolved to ask her about it before they parted for the evening. “I’m thinking of moving Florentina to the new office.”

Anya laughed. “Why? Isn’t she happy at home?”

“Apparently not, if her brown leaves are any indication.” Florentina was Gleb’s recently purchased house plant - the first he’d ever owned. Anya still found the fact that Deputy Commissioner Gleb Vaganov, a high ranking, highly decorated and widely feared Cheka officer had not only named his plant, but regularly talked about “her” as if it was a human being. “I spend more time at work than I do at home anyway. And I don’t want her to feel neglected.”

“No, we certainly wouldn’t want that.”

Gleb recognized the teasing sarcasm in her tone but carried on anyway. “I’m just not sure what I’m doing wrong, but my flat doesn’t get much sunlight so I’m hoping the window in my new office will bring in enough to cheer her up.”

“Are you remembering to water her?”

Gleb looked offended. “Of course I do! You think I would forget about Florentina? I’m not a monster you know.”

Anya shrugged. “Then maybe moving her is for the best. Maybe it’s just the loneliness of not seeing you enough that’s killing her.” Anya picked up her tea and took a long sip to hide the grin that she was failing to keep off her face as Gleb glared at her. 

Finally Gleb shrugged and casually leaned back in his chair. “I guess you two have a lot in common then.” 

Anya nearly choked on her tea, and she swallowed carefully before replying, “Excuse me?”

“You clearly relate to her problem. I’ll be sure to introduce you when you come see the office. I think you’ll get along well.”

“Oh really?” Anya narrowed her eyes at the smug man across the table. “You think I’m the one dying when I’m not with you?”

“Your words not mine.”

“What about you, Mr. ‘Just happened to run into each other’?” Gleb froze and Anya smirked in triumph.

Gleb took a careful sip of his tea. “What exactly are you implying?”

Anya let out a rather unladylike snort. “You really thought I believed that you just happened to be walking by the city offices at the exact same time I was there on the same day that we met, even though I’ve never seen you there before?”

Gleb had the grace to look sheepish. “Perhaps I was a little… overeager.”

“Perhaps.” Anya paused, ostensibly to take another sip of tea, though she really just wanted to savour seeing Gleb, the most powerful man in St. Petersburg, squirm under the accusing look of a small street sweeper. Finally, she put her drink down. “But I’m glad you were.” 

Gleb’s heart skipped a beat and a blush coloured Anya’s cheeks.

They finished their drinks largely in silence, comfortable in each other’s company. It was nearly dark by the time they left the shop. It had been warm inside, but the temperature outside had dropped yet again. Gleb shrugged on his coat and then turned to Anya. She looked distracted again, the peace and lightheartedness that had eventually settled over her disappearing with the warmth of the shop. 

“Can I walk you back?” he asked. 

When they first started meeting, Anya had been hesitant to let him walk her home. He offered every time, believing it was the gentlemanly thing to do, but never pursued the matter when she would nervously refuse. He assumed she didn’t want him to know where she lived because she didn’t trust him, and that was fine. Despite waiting outside the city offices for her on that first day, he had no intention of following her without her knowledge or doing anything that would make her uncomfortable. Trust could be a dangerous thing if placed in the wrong hands, and though he would never betray Anya’s trust, he was comforted to know that she was a careful woman. There were far too many criminals corrupting the streets of his beautiful Leningrad who would be all too eager to take advantage of a young, beautiful woman.

While this was part of the reason Anya had initially refused, the main reason was quite different. About a month into their meetings, after another one of Gleb’s friendly offers to walk her home, Anya had sighed and explained the truth. She didn’t have a home. Not really. She lived under a bridge. Her meager possessions, a threadbare blanket, a worn book of fairy tales, a metal cup, and a change of clothes, were hidden in a cluster of bushes nearby. She could barely afford to feed herself, let alone pay for a place to live. She didn’t want his pity, but she also didn’t want him to think less of her.

When she’d finally looked up to meet his gaze, there had been sympathy in his eyes - similar to pity but more kind and compassionate, and not at all condescending. Anya found she didn’t mind that look at all. And most importantly, it hadn’t changed his opinion of her. He still looked at her with the same glow - a look that only lit up his face when he was with her. She’d seen him across the street at times when he was on patrol and was unaware of her presence, but the glow had always been absent from his face. But it never failed to return when he was with her. It conveyed an emotion Anya couldn’t quite name, though she wasn’t sure if that was because she didn’t totally recognize it, or if she wasn’t ready to admit to herself what it was.

After her confession, she’d let him walk her to her bridge every time.

She nodded her approval to his request, and together they started walking along the nearly deserted streets. 

After a few minutes, Gleb broke the silence. “Are you alright, Anya?” he asked quietly. 

“What do you mean?”

“I know something’s been bothering you today.”

Anya tried to shrug the question away. “I’m fine.”

“I know you better than you think I do, comrade,” he said with a small smile. 

Anya hesitated, chewing her lip.

“You don’t have to tell me. I just thought maybe I could help.”

“It’s nothing really.” She sighed before continuing. “Someone found the hiding spot for my stuff while I was working yesterday. When I got back my blanket was gone.”

Gleb felt anger rise in his veins. Both as Anya’s friend and as Deputy Commissioner, the injustice of someone stealing from her was infuriating. Gleb hated criminals - there were far too many of them in Leningrad and he’d devoted countless hours to exterminating them like the vermin they were. But to steal from Anya who already had next to nothing? 

Gleb forced himself to push down the righteous anger that was already planning to track down and arrest the rat. It would do Anya no good right now. He could save his plotting for later.

Anya saw the way his posture stiffened and a different, more dangerous gleam appeared in his eye - one she’d only seen from a distance on the occasions when she’d spotted him on streets. “It’s not a big deal!” She hurried to explain. “I didn’t need it much longer anyway. Spring is coming soon.”

As if on cue, another gust of icy wind blew up the street. “Not soon enough, I’m afraid,” he said almost to himself. Gleb glanced at the dark sky, looking for the large dark clouds that signified a storm was on its way. From the rapidly dropping temperatures, he could tell it wouldn’t be long before it hit them full force.

“I just didn’t want you making a big fuss over it… Besides, it was old and riddled with holes. I could use a new one anyway.” She tried to sound positive, but they both knew that even if she had enough money saved to buy a new one, the cost of it would force her to miss more than a few meals. 

They arrived at Anya’s bridge and stopped beside it. Another blast of wind caused them both to shiver. At least the bridge would provide some protection from the elements, but the usual guilt that Gleb felt every time he left her here to go back to his warm flat gnawed at him even more strongly tonight. It would be too forward of him to ask her to stay with him. He would offer such a suggestion with the most innocent of intentions, but Anya would never accept. He knew she trusted him, but it wouldn’t look innocent if anyone found out - and they would. Anya was well acquainted with several women who were all too familiar with sharing a man’s home for a night. She shared her spot under the bridge with them when they couldn’t find someone’s bed to occupy. These women had tried on more than one occasion to get her to join them in their soliciting, despite her adamant refusal. And then there were Gleb’s colleagues who were bound to find out one way or another. And while Gleb didn’t care what most people thought of him - everyone he worked closely with was his subordinate, and nearly all the other citizens of Leningrad were afraid of him - he knew that Anya cared. 

And he understood. She didn’t have his power or command. She didn’t have much of anything. But she did have her pride. And that wasn’t a bad thing. Except of course, when it might lead to her freezing to death.  
Without a word, Gleb began removing his coat, willing himself not to shiver as it slipped from his shoulders. 

“Gleb, what…” She trailed off as she was enveloped in his coat which he had draped over her shoulders. The material was warm and thick, effectively blocking most of the wind. She looked up at him, now in just his uniform.

“There. Now you don’t need a new blanket.”

Anya was already shaking her head in protest, though Gleb noticed she made no attempt to remove the coat. “Gleb, this is… I can’t possibly take this.”

“Why not?.”

“It’s too much!” Her eyes dropped to the ground and she mumbled, “I can’t even pay you back for the tea.”

Gleb reached out his hand and placed a finger under her chin, slowly tilting her head up until she met his eyes. “I don’t expect you to,” he said softly. “It’s a gift.”

“But… now you don’t have a coat.”

Gleb shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. “My flat’s not that far. Don’t worry about it.”

Anya watched him valiantly trying not to shiver and stifled a giggle at his less than successful efforts. But it was clear he wanted her to keep the coat regardless. She had been dreading the upcoming nights with the temperature dropping and nothing but her own thinning coat to keep out the chill. And his coat was awfully warm.

“Okay,” she finally agreed. “But I’m giving it back to you next time I see you.”

“Sounds like a deal. How does Thursday sound?”

“I don’t know,” Anya said, smiling coyly. “I am very busy.”

“Ah, I see,” he said, laughing. “So you pretend to try to refuse my offer so I wouldn’t be as suspicious when you disappear with it. Very clever, comrade. Though I should warn you that theft is a serious offence. Especially theft from an officer.”

Anya hummed, considering his words. “Well it’s a good thing I have a high ranking officer as a friend then. I think he would help me out if I ever got in trouble.”

“Oh really?”

“Mm-hmm. He’s quite protective of me. Maybe a little too much at times, but I think it’s sweet.” Gleb felt his heart skip a beat. “I’m seeing him on Thursday, actually.”

“Sounds like a great guy.” He brushed his hand through his hair to make sure it was combed into place. “Is he handsome?” He asked, wiggling his eyebrows. 

Anya couldn’t hold back her laugh. “Yes, very handsome.” Gleb grinned widely, until Anya added, “Though probably not as handsome as he thinks.”

Gleb sniffed indignantly and Anya giggled. It was a beautiful sound, and Gleb was thrilled to see Anya truly happy. Her smiles and laughs so far today had always felt weighted. There was always something else burdening her mind. Knowing now that she had been thinking about the upcoming cold night with even less protection from the elements than she normally had, Gleb understood. His thoughts turned to the far too common sight of frozen bodies lying in alleys and doorways after a cold night, their skin pale and cold, fingers blackened by frostbite, and chests still, never to breathe again. An image of Anya lying under her bridge in such a state flashed unwillingly into his mind and Gleb shivered at the thought. 

Mistaking the reason for this action, Anya suddenly looked a little guilty. “I’m sorry. You’re freezing because of me and I’m teasing you.”

Gleb was cold, and he didn’t want to reveal the true reason for his sudden shiver. So he simply waved away her concern and said, “No, it’s fine. But I should probably be going.”

Anya nodded. “Okay. Goodnight, Gleb.”

“Goodnight, Anya. Be safe.” He bowed slightly and smiled in farewell before turning to leave. It felt too stiff. Too formal. When they were together, he couldn’t feel happier or more comfortable. But he hated how their goodbyes were always so rigid. He’d never had this kind of relationship before. He was familiar with how to behave in all of his other relationships - his mother, subordinates, superiors, everyday citizens. But Anya… What was she to him? A friend? Yes, but also no. When he thought about the couple of people throughout his life that he would have considered friends, she didn’t quite fit. There was something more. Something he’d never felt for another person before, and it left him uncertain in how to behave. What would be appropriate without breaking the bounds of propriety? The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable.

Anya was also struggling with the stiffness of their goodbye. It didn’t feel right, to just walk away from each other. She didn’t have much else to compare it to - she couldn’t remember her family or friends, if she’d ever even had any. The only people she’d really been acquainted with these last ten years had been colleagues and people she’d shared living spaces with. She’d gotten along with most of her colleagues well enough, and formed a necessary truce with her “roommates”, but she wouldn’t have called any of them friends. And the kind of relationship that was developing between her and Gleb was even more foreign. But despite her lack of experience, she knew she wanted something more.

“Gleb.”

He stopped and turned, eyebrows raised in question. 

Anya took a deep breath and stepped toward him. But instead of stopping in front of him, she continued forward, reaching up and wrapping her arms around him. “Thank you.” She spoke quietly into his chest.

Gleb stood frozen for a moment, caught off guard by the action. He quickly recovered and returned the embrace. All thoughts of the cold disappeared as he gently held her small form against his body. 

He certainly didn’t make a habit of hugging people, but with Anya, it just felt right. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d hugged someone, though he knew it must have been his mother. He remembered his mother holding him at night when he was a small child, afraid of the harsh winter storm raging outside their home. Or when they hadn’t eaten in days and all he could do was curl up on the floor, weak and starving, thinking he was going to die. She’d always embraced him and it had brought him comfort despite their circumstances. When he’d finally grown old enough to enlist, he remembered hugging her as he said goodbye, standing on a train platform preparing to leave his childhood behind and fight for a new, better Russia. There had been tears in her eyes and suddenly, the circumstances were reversed. The son was bringing comfort to the mother, offering assurances he wasn’t sure he could keep. Promising that everything would be alright. 

As the memories flashed through his mind, he realized that this was probably, as far as she knew, Anya’s very first hug. She had no memories of a loving mother offering comfort when times were hard. She’d never known what it was like to know that someone was looking after her - that someone cared about her, even more than they cared about themselves. Until now.

With this in mind, Gleb held her tighter, silently vowing that he would be that person. He would protect her. He would hold her when she needed comfort. He would show her what it felt like to have someone care about her. What it felt like to be loved. 

Gleb pressed a gentle kiss atop Anya’s head. That word - love. It had slipped into his thoughts gradually over the past couple of weeks, playing around in the back of his mind. But now it stood at the forefront, loud and undeniable. It was no longer a mere possibility, a passing fancy that passed through his thoughts from time to time. He knew it with certainty. He loved Anya. 

When Gleb finally arrived home that night, he knew he would do anything for her. Anything to make her happy. To make sure she was never worried or frightened again. 

. . .

Anya’s thoughts were also on Gleb as she laid down under her bridge that night. That had indeed been her first hug - the first one she could remember anyway - and it had been everything she wanted. At times over the past ten years, on the particularly cold and difficult days, she’d fantasized about a handsome prince holding her close, offering love and warmth and comfort. Gleb hated royalty, and certainly wouldn’t appreciate being compared to them, but Anya realized now that he didn’t have to be. Gleb was kind, and warm, and caring, and most importantly, he was a real, tangible person who really could hold her when she felt cold and alone. And she preferred him over her imaginary prince any day. 

Anya wrapped his coat more tightly around herself and smiled softly. It was probably her imagination, but she thought she could still feel his heat emanating from the thick material. As she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep, she couldn’t even feel the cold air around her.


End file.
